Premier League Clubs Struggle to Replace Gambling Sponsors

Premier League clubs are heading into a tighter sponsorship market as the ban on front-of-shirt gambling deals comes into effect after the current season. The rule was agreed in 2023, and clubs now face a combined shortfall reported at about £80 million ahead of the 2026 27 campaign.

Good to Know

• Nine Premier League clubs have not finalised a new front-of-shirt sponsor for next season.
• Twelve clubs in total are still without signed deals as the season approaches.
• Offers outside the big six have fallen by about 50%, according to The Guardian.

Premier League Sponsor Values Fall Ahead of Ban

The drop is hitting hardest outside the biggest clubs. According to The Guardian, shirt sponsorship offers for many sides have fallen from a previous range of £8 million to £12 million a season to roughly half that level. Some clubs are now shifting existing sleeve, stadium, or training ground partners onto the front of the shirt at reduced fees.

Bournemouth and Brentford are among the examples already cited. Both clubs have moved existing commercial partners into the main shirt position, but for less money than gambling brands had been paying.

“Nearly everyone is losing money,” a senior club executive told The Guardian regarding ongoing negotiations.

“Outside the big six, shirt sponsorship offers have dropped by around 50% from a range of between £8m and £12m a season. There may be some exceptions but it is a very diffi­cult market. And with some clubs ­opting to switch sleeve or training kit partners to front-of-shirt, there is a knock-on effect for those deals too.”

The Premier League announced in April 2023 that clubs had collectively agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of matchday shirts from the start of the 2026 27 season. Sleeve branding and other forms of gambling advertising were left outside that voluntary restriction.

Everton offers one of the clearest examples of how clubs are adapting. Stake, the club current front-of-shirt partner, is set to remain involved as a sleeve sponsor even after losing access to the Great Britain market. The Gambling Commission said in February 2025 that Stake would leave Great Britain, with the final shutdown of the site due by 11 March 2025.

For many clubs, the issue is simple. Gambling companies had become some of the highest-paying shirt sponsors in football, especially for sides outside the elite tier. Replacing that money has proved much harder than replacing the logo on the shirt.